What Foods Can I Eat to Keep My Gums Healthy?

Keeping your gums healthy is essential to your overall oral hygiene. Having unhealthy gums can lead to gum disease, bad breath, cavities and other serious issues. There are the traditional ways that you can help keep your gums healthy such as brushing your teeth on a regular basis, flossing routinely, and using a good mouthwash. These are effective and useful ways that can help fight against the buildup of plaque and bacteria in your mouth. At Redondo Beach Dental group, our dentists suggest additional options. One of the less obvious ways that you can keep your gums healthy is by eating the right kinds of food. Many Redondo Beach patients may not know there are actually certain foods that help reduce bacteria in your mouth but can be beneficial for your gum health.

Foods That Are Good for Your Healthy Gums

There are a couple of options for foods that can be eaten to keep your gums healthy for Redondo Beach patients. Our doctors at Redondo Beach Dental Group suggest these specific foods that to help promote oral health. Firstly, eating anything that takes a while to chew is good for your mouth. The chewing and constant munching is a way that helps keep your mouth clean. For instance, eating an apple can help get rid of excess plaque and bacteria that may be sticking to areas in your mouth. Another option is eating herbs, which are known to have healing properties in more ways than one. Ginger is one of the herb choices that is good for your gums. Because ginger is anti-inflammatory, it can help aid healthy gum tissue; which is great for your oral health. Also eating healthy foods such as greens (kale, spinach, lettuce, etc.) are ways that you can also promote good gum health. Because they are so high in fiber, they take a while for your teeth to break down so that they can be swallowed. The chewing of these food items can help eliminate bacteria and keep your gums extra healthy.

Foods to Avoid to Keep Your Gums Healthy

There are also foods that you should avoid to keep your oral health in check. Foods that are high in sugar or acid are two types of food that should be eaten in moderation. Although these foods don’t have to be completely cut out, it’s important that they are limited so that your gums stay healthy. It can seem harmless to snack on candies and sugary foods. However, these kinds of food can lead to unhealthy gums. One of the foods that our dentists in periodontics at Redondo Beach Dental Group also suggest avoiding are citric fruits. As this includes juices, lemons, and limes; a better option is choosing water to keep your gums healthy. Also, sticky foods are not a good choice for maintaining healthy gums. Foods such as dried fruits or even trail mix can end up sticking to your teeth and causing issues later down the road. To avoid bad gum health, it’s best to keep the intake of these foods to a minimum.

Optimizing Your Gum Health

Keeping your gums healthy is crucial. Although there are certain foods that you can add or take away from your diet, another way to check up on your overall gum health is to see your dental hygienist regularly for routine cleanings. In Redondo Beach, our team can offer any patient seeking a consultation to check their gum health to make sure that you aren’t already on the path to having gum disease, which leads to bad breath and numerous other oral health problems. Call today at (310) 660-7726 to schedule an appointment and find out about your gum health today.

Please be aware that this is not a secure email network under HIPAA guidelines. Do not submit any personal or private information unless you are authorized and have voluntarily consented to do so. We are not liable for any HIPAA violations. Understand that if you email us, you are agreeing to the use of an unsecured method and understand that all replies will be sent in the same fashion, which you are hereby authorizing.

By checking this box you hereby agree to hold Redondo Beach Dental Group, including its doctors and affiliates, harmless from any hacking or any other unauthorized use of your personal information by outside parties. By checking this box, you also agree to receive email communication from Redondo Beach Dental Group.